Editor Terri Shea, who also authored Selbuvotter: Biography of a Knitting Tradition is available to teach a variety of classes. She has taught across the United States, at conferences, retreats, and in-store workshops. Known for her expertise in the Selbu knitting tradition. Classes include Selbu mittens and gloves, Norwegian stockings, and designing.

Selbuvotter - Norway’s Favorite Mittens

Hear the story behind Norway’s most beloved traditional mitten style, the Selbuvotter, while you learn to make some for yourself. You will knit an original two-color design based on a year’s research studying old mittens and gloves from Norway. In addition, students can examine 30 sample mittens and gloves from Terri’s book, recreated from actual antiques and museum collections. Designing your own mittens and modifying mitten patterns to make gloves will also be discussed.

Skill Level: Intermediate. Students will need proficiency with double point needles, Magic Loop, or two circulars, and should be ready to knit stranded patterns in two colors. Students Bring: Two contrasting colors of yarn and double pointed needles appropriate to the yarn. Fingering weight yarn will make toddler size mittens, worsted weight will make adult size. Please use light color for the background and dark color for pattern.

Selbuvotter: The Lecture

Discover the rich history and traditions of Norway's iconic black-and-white mittens.

What started as a dare became an icon of Norwegian knitting and started a snowball of knitting traditions across the North Atlantic. Terri Shea, author of "Selbuvotter: Biography of a Knitting Tradition" follows the story of these beautiful mittens and gloves, from folk tradition to major regional industry to national symbol, and passes the tradition on with over 30 patterns taken from actual antiques. Every aspect of business today can be found in the story of Selbu knitting. And above it all, thousands of women and men, using spare moments to create spectacular designs that are as fresh today as they were 150 years ago.

Selbuvanter - Gloves from Selbu, Norway

You will knit an original two-color design based on a year’s research studying old mittens and gloves from Norway. In addition, students can examine 30 sample mittens and gloves from Terri’s book, recreated from actual antiques and museum collections. Designing your own mittens and modifying mitten patterns to make gloves will also be discussed.

Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced. Students will need proficiency with double point needles, Magic Loop, or two circulars, and should be ready to knit stranded patterns in two colors. Students Bring: Two contrasting colors of fingering weight yarn and double pointed needles appropriate to the yarn and your particular knitting tension; ussually size 1-3, with most people comfortable on size 2. Please select colors with a strong contrast in value and hue, and please use the lighter color for the background. Natural white and any dark color are very traditional.

Traditional Norwegian Stockings

Norwegian stockings look way more complicated than they are. Students will learn the construction by making a worsted weight slipper sock, using two-color stranded design. Consider working your cuff before class and get right to the heel and gusset treatment. Best of all, Terri will bring her stocking samples, knit from Norwegian Knitting Designs, and supplemented by studying real old pieces from the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle, WA.

Skill Level: Intermediate. Must be able to knit in the round and back and forth on circular or DPN. Should have some experience with stranded knitting, and be comfortable knitting simple socks. Students Bring: Worsted weight wool yarn in 2 contrasting colors and a third accent. I strongly suggest white, cream, or very pale grey for the background color, and something dark for the pattern colors, like black and red, or blue and green.